Paint receptacle for use with artist&#39;s palettes



June 8, 1965 R. SPRUNG 3,188,036

PAINT RECEPTACLE FOR USE WITH ARTIST'S PALETTES Filed March 12, 1964 INVENTOR. LOA R. SPRUNG W6 gfliuza ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,188,036 PAINT RECEPTACLE FOR USE WITH ARTISTS lPALE'FIlZZSv 1.02! R. Sprung, 9226 Vista Del Mar, Playa Del Rey, Calif. Filed Mar. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 351,361

3 Claims. (Cl. 248205) This invention relates generally to paint receptacles and more particularly, to'a novel paint receptacle adapted to be attached to the edge of an artists palette for holding paint in a convenient position for use by the artist.

Normally, an artist will squeeze paint from tubes onto edge portions of a palette. The artist may then mix suitable colors together on the central surface areas of the palette for use in painting. After the artist has completed a dayswork, any paint left on the palette is generally discarded. Thnsthe paint is essentially wasted unless some attempt is made topreserve the left-over paint.

With the foregoing in mind, it is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a novel paint receptacle particularly for use with artists palettes for preserving left-over paint.

More particularly, it is an object to provide a paint receptacle, several of which may be individually secured to the edge of an artists palette, for containing respective paints to be used by the artist and in which, after a days work, the individual receptacles may be covered in a air-tight manner to preserve the paints.

Another important object is to provide a paint receptacle of the foregoing type in which the means for securing the same to the palette'are such that a firm base is provided for the paint receptacle itself.

Still another important object is to provide a paint receptacle meeting the foregoing objects which is extremely economical to manufacture.

Briefly, these and many other objects and advantages of this invention are attained by providing an elongated plastic structure defining a paint-receiving cup, a cover, and a flexible intermediate strip integrally extending from a peripheral portion of the cup to a peripheral portion of the cover. The entire structure may be molded in a single operation and is designed such that the cover may be swung over to cover the cup, the intermediate strip por- "ice plurality of individual paint receptacles 11, each formed in accordance with the present invention. These receptacles are secured to surface portions of the palette adjacent to an edge such as the edge 12, and are identical in construction so that description of one will suflice for all.

Thus, referring particularly to FIGURE 2, the paint receptacle comprises an integral elongated plastic structure defining a paint receiving cup 13 provided about its upper peripheral open portion with an annular exterior bead 14. integrally extending from a lower peripheral portion adjacent the bottom of the cup is a flexible elongated strip 15 including integrally laterally extending ears 16 and 17. As shown, the ears 16 and 17 initially extend in opposite directions from the strip 15 and thence in parallel directions so as to straddle the cup 13 when viewed in plan as shown in FIGURE 2.

The strip 15' continues in a strip portion 18 connecting to a peripheral exterior portion of a cover 19. The cover 19 includes an internal annular head 20 adapted to cooperate with the exterior bead 14 when the cover is positioned to cover the cup.

The assembly is completed by a small tab 21 integrally extending from a portion of the cover opposite to the point that the flexible strip portion 18 connects. This tab permits the cover to be easily removed from the cup 13.

The ears I6 and 17 are designed to cooperate with the bottom surface of the cup 13 to secure the device to the artists palette 10. Thus, with particular reference to FIGURE 3, it will be noted that the upper end surface portions of the ears 16 and 17 and the bottom surface of the cup 13 function to sandwich the edge portion 12 of the palette 10.

tion assuming a U-shape. To insure an air-tight enclosure when the cover is in place, the cup is provided with an exterior annular bead cooperating with an interior bead in the cover.

The plastic structure also includes securing means in the form of laterally extending ears arranged to cooperate with the bottom surface of the cup to sandwich the edge of an artists palette and thus hold the paint receptacle to the palette. By this arrangement, no complicated or separate parts are necessary and the entire structure may be very economically maufactured.

A better understanding of the invention will be had by now referring to a preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an artists palette illustrating several of the paint receptacles of this invention secured to edge portions of the palette in open position for use;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the receptacles illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the receptacles in open condition looking generally in the direction of the arrow 3 of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 illustrating the receptacle in closed condition.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is shown a typical artists palette It) to which there have been attached a FIGURE 4 illustrates the receptacle in closed condi tion. As shown, when the cover 19 covers the cup 13 the intermediate flexible strip portion 18 forms generally a U-shape. When positioning the cover over the cup, the internal annular head 20 will snap over the exterior bead .14 to insure an air-tight connection.

When it is desired to open the cup, it is easy to grasp the tab 21 and simply pull back on the cover portion. The strip 18 is sufficiently flexible and elastic that it will tend to assume its elongated flat condition so that the cover will at all times be held in an out-of-the-way position when it is removed from the cup.

In operation, an artist will fill several paint receptacles with the desired paints and the receptacles may be respectively attached to the edge of the palette as illustrated in FIGURE 1 by simply urging the ears beneath the lower surface of the palette with the bottom surface of the cup riding over the top of the palette. This latter feature is important as the surface of the palette provides a firm foundation or base for the cup.

The artist may then paint in the normal manner. After a days work, the individual cups may be closed by simply swinging over the covers as described to assume the position illustrated in FIGURE 4. In this respect, the top of the cover may identify the color of the paint as shown. The cups may remain on the edge of the palette or they may be easily removed and stored if desired.

Because of the cooperating beads, an air-tight enclosure is insured so that the paint will not dry out and is therefore not wasted. The integral construction of the re ceptacle insures that the cover cannot become separated or lost. Moreover, only a single molding operation is necessary to manufacture the device and therefore great economy is realizable.

From the foregoing, it will therefore be evident that the present invention has provided a greatly improved paint receptacle meeting all of the various objects heretofore set forth.

areasee What is claimed is:

1. A paint receptacle comprising: an integral molded plastic structure defining a paint receiving cup, a cover, and a flexible intermediate strip integrally extending from a peripheral portion of said cup and integrally connecting to a peripheral portion of said cover whereby said cover may be swung lover to cover said cup by flexing said intermediate strip into a U-shape, said intermediate strip including ears integrally extending laterally therefrom in opposite directions and thence extending parallel to each other in the direction of said cup to straddle either side of said cup when viewed in plan in such a manner that an edge of an artists palette is receivable between the bottom surface of said receiving cup and the top end surface portions of said ears to be sandwiched thereby so that said paint receptacle is secured to said palette with the bottom surface of said cup in full engagement with a surface portion of said palette adjacent to said end to provide a firm base therefor.

2. A paint receptacle adapted to be secured to the edge portion of an artists palette, comprising: an integral elongated plastic structure defining a paint receiving cup, a cover, and a flexible intermediate strip integrally extending from a peripheral portion of said cup near its bottom and integrally connecting to a peripheral portion of said cover near its top, said cup including an annular exterior bead about its upper open peripheraledge and said cover including an annular interior bead under its top portion whereby said cover may be swung over to cover said cup by flexing said intermediate strip into a U-shape, said interior bead snapping over said exterior bead to provide an air-tight enclosure; and ears integrally extending laterally from said intermediate strip from opposite directions and thence extending parallel to each other in a direction toward said cup to straddle either side of said cup when viewed in plan in such a manner that said edge of said palette is receivable between the bottom surface of said cup and the top surface end portions of said ears so that said paint receptacle is secured to said palette with the bottom surface of said cup in full engagement with a surface portion of said palette adjacent to said end to provide a firm base therefor.

3. A paint receptacle according to claim 2, in which said cover includes an extending integral tab member at a point diametrically opposite to the point of connection of said intermediate strip, said tab member serving as a. means to facilitate raising of said cover from said cup.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,865,241 6/32 Dock 20619.5 2,402,850 6/46 Sillman et al. 206-1.7 2,676,428 4/54 Silver 206--1.7 2,718,722 9/55 Barg 206-1.7 2,852,054 9/58 Motley 215-99 FOREIGN PATENTS 515,115 11/52 Belgium. 217,112 1/ 42 Switzerland.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PAINT RECEPTACLE COMPRISING: AN INTEGRAL MOLDED PLASTIC STRUCTURE DEFINING A PAINT RECEIVING CUP, A COVER, AND A FLEXIBLE INTERMEDIATE STRIP INTEGRALLY EXTENDING FROM A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID CUP AND INTEGRALLY CONNECTING TO A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID COVER WHEREBY SAID COVER MAY BE SWUNG OVER TO COVER SAID CUP BY FLEXING SAID INTERMEDIATE STRIP INTO A U-SHAPE, SAID INTERMEDIATE STRIP INCLUDING EARS INTEGRALLY EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREFROM IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND THENCE EXTENDING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER IN THE DIRECTIONS AND THENCE EXTENDING PARALLEL SIDE OF SAID CUP WHEN VIEWED IN PLAN IN SUCH A MANNER THAT AN EDGE OF AN ARTIST''S PALETTE IS RECEIVABLE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID RECEIVING CUP AND THE TOP END SURFACE PORTIONS OF SAID EARS TO BE SANDWICHED WHEREBY SO THAT SAID PAINT RECEPTACLE IS SECURED TO SAID PALETTE WITH THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID CUP IN FULL ENGAGEMENT WITH A SURFACE PORTION OF SAID PALETTE ADJACENT TO SAID END TO PROVIDE A FIRM BASE THEREFOR. 